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Broadcasting legend Bill Turnbull has died, aged 66

He hosted BBC Breakfast for 15 years

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 1st September 2022

Bill Turnbull has died at the age of 66 after a five-year battle with prostate cancer.

The broadcaster hosted BBC Breakfast for 15 years before moving to Classic FM, and also hosted shows like Songs of Praise and Think Tank.

He passed away peacefully at home in Suffolk on Wednesday 31 August, surrounded by his family.

A statement from his family said: “Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St Elizabeth Hospice and his GP.

“He was resolutely positive and was hugely buoyed by the support he received from friends, colleagues, and messages from people wishing him luck. It was a great comfort to Bill that so many more men are now testing earlier for this disease.

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“Bill will be remembered by many as a remarkable broadcaster who brought warmth and humour into people’s homes on BBC Breakfast and Classic FM.

Read more: Police want to speak to this man after a woman was punched in the face for declining to have a conversation

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“He was also a devoted Wycombe Wanderers fan and an ever-aspiring beekeeper.

“Bill was a wonderful husband and father to his three children; his family and friends will miss how he always made them laugh, and the generosity and love he shared with those around him.”

Bill also appeared as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, and on a celebrity edition of The Great British Bake Off to raise money for Stand Up to Cancer.

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He found out he had the disease himself while filming the reality cooking show.

Featured image: BBC

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A local Manchester run club is holding two special running routes to see the total eclipse

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester eclipse running route Trail Division hike 2026

With the highly anticipated total eclipse fast approaching, people not just here in Greater Manchester but all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world are gearing up to try and watch it – but this native running club are doing it a bit differently.

Eclipses occur once every 12-18 months, but this is set to be the biggest since 1999.

The moon is set to cover approximately 96-98% of the sun this coming Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, and rather than try to watch it from a window at home or drive to somewhere with supposedly ‘the best view’, local sports club Manchester Road Runners are turning it into their latest one-off event.

Sharing details online, the free-to-join local organisation, which boasts thousands of members on Facebook and various other platforms, will be timing things to make sure they catch the phenomenon.

Writing in the accompanying caption, the Road Runners say: “We’ve pulled some strings and have a very special event taking place on August 12th, a solar eclipse! Come run with us under a darkened sun next Wednesday from The Wharf at 18:30, with peak moon coverage expected at around 19:10.”

Better still, they’re also teaming up with their trail running spin-off club for an even more scenic twist on the evening excursion.

“If you prefer to experience your solar phenomena under the wide open skies”, they go on to write, “our friends over at Trail Division will be holding a hike/run off road, meet at Piccadilly Station at 18:00 to get shady in the great outdoors.”

Fortunately, they have issued an important disclaimer, going on to remind runners that “while beautiful and majestic, the sun should NEVER be directly looked at in the face unprotected”, signing off by adding, “Respect the sun, respect your peepers, stay ocularly safe out there.”

If you’ve never come across MRR before, they’re probably the biggest run club in the entire Greater Manchester region and their social-first jogs, intervals, track sessions and more revolve around meeting back up with your mates for a wholesome pint and a chat.

This massive Manchester running club where jogs finish at the pub is the best
For many, it’s the biggest and the best in the city.

As for the eclipse run, it’s set to be a very magical variation on their usual Wednesday evening meets.

Quite rightly, they also point out in the post that you can actually buy certain glasses to view eclipses on these rare occasions, with search traffic often ramping up in and around these events.

Meanwhile, the Trail Division branch is yet to confirm the route for their run/hike, but it will most likely remain in the nearby North West vicinity; keep your eyes peeled on their social media pages (linked above) for more information and other upcoming trail events.

Speaking of trail runs, there’s a pretty beautiful albeit challenging one coming up next month…

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Featured Images — Manchester Road Runners

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Oasis promoters drop biggest Knebworth hint yet after securing license around key date

Danny Jones Danny Jones Oasis returning to Knebworth license

Not that we’re the type to get carried away, but we’ll confess that our curiosity, interest and general levels of anticipation have been piqued, as Oasis’ main promoters have recently renewed the license to host events at the infamous Knebworth.

My word, is this it? Like the reunion, is it ACTUALLY going to happen?…

We’re sure the raw, uncontrollable excitement will come should it be fully confirmed, but for now, all we know is that our colleagues in music media, SJM Concerts, have renewed the land in and around Knebworth Park and House for live entertainment once again.

Moreover, the company have also done so on a rather fitting date decades on from the original and legendary outdoor gigs.

As can be found on the planning application section of the North Hertfordshire Council website – the county in which the storied Britpop gigs took place – a fresh license to hold new events.

If/when the announcement happens, the already granted permission will allow for a capacity of up to 125,000 and a curfew of 3am.

We know the original Knebworth shows were beyond iconic, but let’s say this would be nailed on to be nothing short of absolutely box office.

Besides having also helped promote Oasis’ colossal Live ’25 reunion tour last summer, it’s also worth noting that they secured said license just over a week before the 30th anniversary of the pair of nights back in 1996: 10-11 August, to be specific.

The licence is said to have come into effect this past Saturday (1 Aug) and is believed to be indefinite.

What added even more fuel to the fire of these well-established rumours over the past year was when Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage told the House of Lords the band would be playing FIVE whole nights at Knebworth in the future, before later clarifying that she was speaking in “hypothetical terms.”

All that being said, it’s fair to say we’ll be keeping a very keen eye on socials over the next few days, in particular, just in case.

The Manc has reached out to SJM for an official comment (surprise, surprise), but we are yet to receive a response regarding the matter.

Your silence speaks volumes, just saying.

This coming Monday, 10 August 2026, will mark the official 30th anniversary of Oasis at Knebworth 1996, and with the likes of ‘Wonderwall’ seeing a chart resurgence as the go-to England anthem at this year’s World Cup, we’re choosing to be optimistic. What about you?

Oasis’ Wonderwall on the brink of becoming UK number one for first time ever 30 years after initial release
It’s gained a whole new lease on life.

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Featured Images — Jayembee69 (via Flickr)/Press shot (via SJM Concerts)

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